Pound Takes on JCU

Photo courtesy of Samantha Hunt

Rachel Scully, Arts & Life Editor

Photo Courtesy of Samantha Hunt

New Year’s resolutions can be extremely difficult to maintain. Whatever your resolution may be, consistency is the best way to stay on track. According to Strava, a social networking app for athletes, workout resolutions only last until Jan. 12, less than two weeks into the year.

If you find yourself feeling a sense of dread when going to the gym lately, Samantha Hunt is here to introduce you to Pound Fitness at John Carroll, and maybe help you keep your resolution.

Photo courtesy of Samantha Hunt

According to the Pound website, the workout is a mix of cardio, strength training, yoga and pilates. Throughout the workout class, you use drumsticks to hit the floor to the beats of various songs and do a variety of moves. Had a bad week of classes? Well, you’re in luck. It’s also strongly encouraged to hit as hard as you can, so go crazy!

Instructor Samantha Hunt has been involved in Pound since 2017. She became an instructor in November 2019. “It’s got me through some hard times because it is a fun workout to get some anger and aggression out,” Hunt said. “I think that what really drove me to Pound is that it is really for everybody. So, anybody can do it.”

One of the best aspects about Pound is that it truly is for every level and every person. According to Hunt, Pound programs are being conducted in nursing homes, children’s programs and much more. There is even an instructor in a wheelchair who recently got certified.

“Really, it’s for everybody,” Hunt explained. “Although I like working out, I am not a size zero. I’m not that person that goes and runs 5Ks every weekend. It something that I can still [do to] focus on my health and wellbeing. You don’t have to fit into a certain mold.”

Mixing diversity and fitness is also important to Hunt. “Just looking at the diversity we have on John Carroll’s campus, I thought it [would be] really cool to have somebody that looked like me, that wasn’t a size two, a plus-sized person, woman of color teaching a class,” she said.

“I wanted to have a space for them to let loose, be themselves and feel empowered.” Empowerment is the premise of Pound Fitness, as the instructor typically plays upbeat songs of all genres alongside encouraging words from Hunt.

If you don’t like going to the gym but still want to work out or simply want to try something different in your workout routine, give Pound a try! Classes are conducted Tuesdays at 8 a.m., Thursdays at 6:15 p.m. and Saturdays at 11 a.m. For more information go to www.poundfit.com/about.